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Language and Literacy Tips in 16 Languages

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Language and Literacy Tips in 16 Languages

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Download the tipsheet in English, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Diné, French, Haitian, Creole, Hmong, Korean, Pashto, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese.

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There are many ways that families of English language learners (ELLs) can support language and literacy at home! Colorín Colorado's new series of 8 tips for families is available in 16 languages. Share these tips with your families in two ways:

1) A tip sheet: One single page with all 8 tips
2) One tip at a time
If you see any issues with translations, please email us at: [email protected] Artwork by award-winning illustrator Rafael López is used with permission.

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Share 8 Great Reading Tips with Families (in 16 languages)

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There are many ways that families of English language learners (ELLs) can support language and literacy at home! Colorín Colorado's new series of 8 tips for families is available in 16 languages.

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Curriculum Enhancement Packets (Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese) 

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Curriculum Enhancement Packets (Arabic, Spanish, Vietnamese) 

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Designed to support the learning and development of multilingual students ranging from Levels 1-3 of English proficiency, and grades K-12 in the classroom or at home.
Packets include guidance to caregivers and educators in English and Spanish and basic student instructions in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Vietnamese.

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We are a consortium of researchers, teacher educators, and teachers who believe in the value of multilingual education and strive for equity. Therefore, during this time of crisis and difficulty, we are eager to put our expertise and passions to use to try to be of assistance. We initially designed 21 immediate-response packets for K-5, as soon as the pandemic forced schools to shut down. We then applied for and received a grant that has allowed us to create more than 100 full activity packets, ranging from Levels 1-3 of English proficiency, and grades K-12.
The breakdown of packets is as follows: English Level 1 - Entry into English
English Level 1-2 - Entry into English/Building Background (These packets were the first wave of packets we created and they are appropriate for students between Levels 1 and 2 of English proficiency)
English Level 2 - Building Background English Level 3 - Interdisciplinary Inquiry
Have you used or are planning to use our packets? We would love your feedback. Please take a few short minutes to let us know how we are doing here.

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Scroll down to find the Learning Packets available for FREE download today! Learning Packets:

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Free, online children's books in different languages.

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ICDL - International Children’s Digital Library

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Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages

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Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice for Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages

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NAETISL Code of Ethics and Standards - 2020

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Remote Interpretation: Resources & Suggestions

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Remote Interpretation: Resources & Suggestions

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NAETISL - Remote Interpretation Resources & Suggestions

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English/Spanish

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NAETISL - Pre-Session Definition and Samples

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Working with a Professional Interpreter in Education - Guidelines for School Personnel

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Working with a Professional Interpreter in Education - Guidelines for School Personnel

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NAETISL - Working with a Professional Interpreter in Education

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American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

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Definitions

Interpreter -a person trained to convey spoken or signed communications from one language to another. Interpretation services may be provided

Clinicians are responsible for considering the goals of the session, discussing the client's/family's needs, evaluating the benefits of service in all language(s) necessary to facilitate the sessions goals, and determining the optimal interpreter to assist in the provision of services (Langdon & Saenz, 2016).

Transliterator -a person trained to facilitate communication for individuals from one form to another form of the same language. This person is most often used for individuals who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (D/HOH) who use oral, cued, or manual communication systems rather than a formal sign language. Transliterators differ from interpreters in that interpreters generally receive information in one language and interpret the information in a different language.

Translator -a person trained to translate written text from one language to another.

Role of Cultural and Linguistic Brokers

Interpreters, transliterators, and translators may serve in the role of a cultural broker (Torres, Lee, & Tran, 2015) or a linguistic broker (Orellana, Martínez, & Martínez, 2014).

Cultural Broker -a person knowledgeable about the client's/patient's culture and/or speech-language community. The broker passes cultural/community-related information between the client and the clinician in order to optimize services.

Linguistic Broker -a person knowledgeable about the client's/patient's speech community or communication environment who can provide valuable information about language and sociolinguistic norms in the client's/patient's speech community and communication environment.

An informant or broker can provide

grammaticality judgments, indicating whether the client's/patient's language and phonetic production are consistent with the norms of that speech community or communication environment;

information on the language socialization patterns (i.e., use of language in socially appropriate ways based on the culture) of that speech community or communication environment; and

information on other areas of language, including semantics and pragmatics.

Roles and Responsibilities of Audiologists and SLPs

When collaborating with interpreters, transliterators, or translators, audiologists and SLPs remain responsible for planning the session, selecting culturally relevant materials, and appropriately administering assessment and treatment. Although the list below outlines ideal characteristics, sometimes it is not always possible to find an interpreter meeting all of these criteria in a timely manner. The interpreter or transliterator assists the clinician in gathering the appropriate data and provides language support for services appropriate to the client.

Appropriate roles and responsibilities of audiologists and SLPs when collaborating with an interpreter, transliterator, or translator include the following:

Identifying clinical exchanges for which collaborating with an interpreter, transliterator, or translator is necessary.

Identifying the appropriate language(s) of service for clients/patients/families, including identifying the preferred language for meetings, services, and written documentation.

Advocating for access to an interpreter, transliterator, or translator.

Making advance arrangements to ensure appropriate physical accommodations (e.g., space, lighting, noise) necessary for successful collaboration, including placement of phone, computer, and/or video screen to ensure visibility and audibility during remote sessions.

Creating a foundation for successful collaboration, including

scheduling additional time in sessions to accomplish goals;

verifying the cultural appropriateness of assessment and treatment materials and reviewing potential bias;

reviewing prompts in assessment materials for linguistic influences of a second language and consulting with additional experts and resources to review phonetic information and potential syntactic influences;

arranging for documents written in unfamiliar languages to be translated, to ensure that they, as clinicians, are aware of the content of the documents; and

understanding that the translation of written material from English to a non-English language may alter the intent and overall readability of the document.

Understanding that not all spoken and manually coded languages, including American Sign Language (ASL), have a written form.

Seeking an interpreter, transliterator, or translator who has knowledge and skills that include

having native or near-native proficiency in the appropriate language(s), dialect(s), and communication system(s)-and the ability to provide accurate interpretations, translations, and transliterations;

understanding the client's/patient's/family's particular culture and speech community or communicative environment;

understanding the basic principles of assessment and/or intervention and having the ability to provide context to the client/family to understand clinical objectives and professional terminology;

understanding professional ethics, client-patient confidentiality, and the need to limit bias; and

understanding that each country has its own sign language and that dialectal differences exist in sign languages.

Establishing collaborative relationships with interpreters, transliterators, and translators to maximize the effectiveness of services.

Maintaining appropriate professional relationships among the clinician, the client/patient/family, and the interpreter, transliterator, or translator (ASHA, 2016).

Seeking information on the features and developmental characteristics, when available, of the language(s) and/or dialect(s) that are spoken or signed by the client/patient/family.

Obtaining information on the client's/patient's/family's significant cultural and linguistic influences, when possible.

Understanding the standardization process for assessments and how collaboration with an interpreter, transliterator, or translator may influence or possibly invalidate standard scores.

Educating the interpreter, transliterator, or translator regarding the goals and intent of the session.

It may be difficult for a clinician unfamiliar with the language to judge the quality of interpreting, transliteration, or translation services. Clinicians must do their best to ensure that services provided are reliable and must make every effort to become familiar with their clients' languages (e.g., language structures, phonemic inventory, how translation/interpretation may impact the message, etc.). ASHA's (2016) Code of Ethics (Principle I, Rules A and B; Principle II) provides the baseline for the quality of services that the clinician is expected to provide. Clinicians must provide all services competently, which indicates using the best resources available under the circumstances.

Selecting an Interpreter, Transliterator, or Translator

Factors included in the selection of an interpreter, transliterator, or translator include the individual's

Requirements for education, training, certification, and/or licensure of interpreters, transliterators, and translators vary by state and employer. Some state laws and regulations impose additional standards and requirements for working in specialized settings (e.g., legal, medical, and educational), particularly when serving individuals who are D/HOH. See State-by-State Regulations for Interpreters and Transliterators and Interpreter Licensure by State for requirements for interpreters and transliterators for individuals who are D/HOH.

Employers such as school districts, courts, and health care systems may also have interpreting aptitude tests, performance assessments, or boards that evaluate interpreters before they can be hired. Additionally, these employers may require credentialing from a state or national organization. A growing number of state and national associations have professional standards and certification for trained interpreters (e.g., International Medical Interpreters Association, Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf). Trained and/or certified professionals have codes of ethics within their professions that they are expected to maintain. See the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, National Council for Interpreters in Health Care, and America TA.

Most of the time, the administration and/or the clinician's facility will provide the name of an individual who will serve as interpreter, transliterator, or translator. A clinician may or may not have the opportunity to provide input on the selection for the initial meeting with the client/patient/caregiver. However, to the maximum extent possible, employers are encouraged to use the same interpreter, transliterator, or translator for multiple assignments, so that the clinician may establish a familiar relationship and provide knowledge of the work process.

Individuals who serve as interpreters, transliterators, or translators include

This list, arranged in approximate order of preference, does not account for the unique variables inherent in clinical interactions.

Bilingual assistants and professional staff must consider their linguistic proficiency in both languages being used, including their proficiency in the local dialect of the language(s) being used by the client/patient/family and their own knowledge and skills for interpreting, transliterating, and translating. Dialectal mismatches-such as a Spanish-speaking individual from Mexico interpreting for a Spanish-speaking client from Spain or Argentina-may result in inaccurate interpretations, translations, and/or cultural misunderstandings (Ostergren, 2014).

Family Members or Friends Serving as Interpreters, Transliterators, Translators

On limited occasions, there may be reasons why a family member or friend serves as an interpreter, transliterator, or translator-either due to client preference or because all other efforts to locate an appropriate interpreter, transliterator, or translator have been exhausted. In addition, a facility may be unable to locate an individual who is able to meet the individual linguistic needs of the client. For example, family members may be the only source of information regarding speech patterns prior to a brain injury in a multilingual individual.

Family or friends acting as interpreters, transliterators, or translators may present potential conflicts. The reliability of the interpretation, transliteration, and/or translation may be compromised given the potential conflict of interest and likely limited training of the family member or friend. It is important to be mindful of risks in high-stakes situations, such as mediation, evaluations, or situations where cognitive capacity might be in question. Children may not possess the emotional maturity and sensitivity necessary to serve in the role to assist family members in the provision of services.

When using family members or friends in this role, the clinician considers the following factors:

Intent of the message (e.g., sharing a diagnosis of a cognitive-communication deficit, which may be met with resistance or a strong emotional response vs. providing safe swallowing techniques).

Age of the family member providing interpretation, the position and role of that individual within the family structure, and his or her overall linguistic ability.

The qualification of interpreters to provide services, be it in a school or a health care setting.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974, public schools must ensure that English learner (EL) students can participate meaningfully and equally in educational programs. Joint guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reminds state education agencies (SEAs), public school districts, and public schools of their legal obligation to ensure that EL students can participate meaningfully and equally in educational programs (U.S. Department of Justice & U.S. Department of Education, n.d.)

According to the civil rights provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2013), Section 1557 expands on existing policies that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Health care providers who receive federal money from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services must take reasonable steps to offer free, timely oral interpretation services to people with limited English proficiency. Providers must also provide free and timely aids and services (including sign language interpreters) for people with disabilities, and they must provide language assistance (including translation of documents). Providers cannot require clients to provide their own interpreters and may not rely on an adult accompanying the patient to interpret, except in an emergency or if the client specifically requests that the accompanying adult interpret or facilitate communication. Clients can decline the services of an interpreter.

Collaborating With the Interpreter or Transliterator

Successful collaboration is inherent to successful service delivery and is based on a shared understanding of the goals established by the clinician. This can be achieved by properly preparing the interpreter or transliterator for what to expect from the assessment or treatment session. Always keep in mind that the audiologist or SLP is responsible for the session and should remain in the room during the entire session. After the assessment or treatment session, the clinician and the interpreter or transliterator should discuss how the session went to be sure that no issues arose that need to be discussed (Langdon, 2002).

Collaborating with an interpreter or transliterator may influence a clinician's ability to diagnose, treat, and seek reimbursement for services. Interpreters or transliterators may inadvertently misrepresent a meaning when converting messages into another language and/or reporting client responses, particularly if they are unaware of the purpose of the exercise or assessment. Interpreters and transliterators may also influence client/patient responses or understanding of clinician questions. In some cases, seemingly small errors can change the meaning of a question or response and can have drastic effects on outcomes. For this reason, it is best to work with a trained interpreter or transliterator when possible. A clinician will need to provide training prior to the session to ensure the best possible outcomes during clinical sessions and should periodically check in to assist in the effective delivery of services (Langdon & Saenz, 2016).

SIG 16's Perspectives article Working With Interpreters to Support Students Who Are English Language Learners provides great information for how to debrief with an interpreter before and after your session.

Prior to the Session

Actions taken prior to the session to ensure a successful collaboration include the following:

Meeting in advance to allow adequate preparation time.

Reviewing and learning greetings and the appropriate pronunciation of names in the family's primary language.

Providing written information prior to the meeting, including proper names of those at the meeting, technical terms and abbreviations, copies of visual references, and topics to be covered.

Establishing a rapport with the interpreter or transliterator.

Discussing prompts or cues that the interpreter or transliterator can use if the clinician speaks too quickly or too softly or if the clinician's speech or meaning is unclear.

Reviewing the goals and procedures of the session or clinical interaction, including discussing

whether gestures may or may not be used;

the possible influence of vocal intonation;

the presence of feedback to the client/patient; and

other cues that may inadvertently influence the session in unanticipated ways.

Reviewing the impact of additional cuing and prompting through repetition of prompts in English by the clinician to target language.

Explaining confidentiality policies pertaining to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulations and the ASHA Code of Ethics (ASHA, 2016), and documenting that these policies have been explained and accepted.

Reviewing assessment administration procedures or intervention techniques, and ensuring that the interpreter or transliterator is aware of (a) the purpose of such procedures/techniques and (b) the need to provide test stimuli-in the client's language-that are as close as possible to the English prompts to elicit the desired type of response.

Providing, in advance, a copy of assessment prompts to be used to avoid any sight translations.

Discussing the impact that fingerspelling may have on assessment results, and reviewing possible differences in the conceptual accuracy of some signs relative to spoken language.

Reviewing procedures for capturing the client's verbal and behavioral responses.

During the Session

Actions taken during the session to ensure a successful collaboration include the following:

Introducing the clinician and the interpreter or transliterator to the client in the client's native language.

Describing the role of the clinician and the interpreter or transliterator, and clarifying expectations.

Reviewing and discussing the process for data collection.

Using short, concise sentences, and avoiding the use of idiomatic expressions, as these are not conveyed easily between languages.

Pausing frequently to allow the interpreter or transliterator enough time to convey information accurately.

Allowing enough time for the interpreter or transliterator to organize information, recognizing that variations in narrative discourse across languages will influence the amount of information required to accurately convey intent.

Periodically checking with the interpreter or transliterator to see if the clinician's speech is too fast, too slow, too soft, or too unclear.

Understanding that words that express feeling, attitude, and qualities may not have the same meaning when directly interpreted or translated.

Talking directly to the client and ensuring comprehension of diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment recommendations, as the clinician would do with all clients.

Being aware of nonverbal body language and gestures that may be offensive to the client's/family's culture.

Observing nonlinguistic measures to supplement the interpreted or translated information.

Avoiding oversimplification of diagnoses, recommendations, and other relevant information.

Providing written materials in the client's/family's preferred written language.

Scheduling extra time for the session and scheduling breaks, as appropriate.

After the Session

Actions taken following the session to ensure a successful collaboration include the following (Langdon & Saenz, 2016):

Reviewing the client's responses, as well as the target responses, and determining if they may have been influenced by cultural and/or linguistic variables.

Discussing any difficulties or concerns.

Working With Translators

Special considerations for effective collaboration with translators include

Dialectal differences may influence translation. To the maximum extent feasible, ensure that documents are written in a way that is the most universally understood by speakers of different dialects of a written language.

All vital written documentation provided to the family should be translated into the client's/patient's/family's preferred language. Allow for sufficient time for the translator to work with the documents.

Provide all legal documents and highly relevant materials to the translator ahead of time. In a research setting, informed consent is presented to each human subject "in language understandable to the subject" (Federal Policy for the Protection of Human Subjects, 2001). Informed consent is documented in writing in most situations.

Paying for an Interpreter, Transliterator, or Translator

Funding for interpreters, transliterators, or translators may come from a variety of sources, as clients/patients are not expected to pay out of pocket for these services to ensure access to care.

For individuals who are D/HOH, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, mandates that all public and private agencies that provide services to the general public, and all employers with 15 or more employees, must be accessible. Therefore, the agency, service, or business is responsible for payment for interpreting services. For students who are deaf and have an Individualized Education Program (IEP), educational interpreting is considered a Related Service under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA). As with all IEP supports and services, there is no charge for Related Services. An educational interpreter or transliterator is a member of the IEP team for any student who is D/HOH receiving this service because educational interpreting and/or transliterating is considered a Related Service.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 mandates equal access to services regardless of language used. Executive Order 13,166 further stipulates that agencies receiving public funding, such as Medicaid/Medicare or IDEA funding, must provide and arrange for that access and are responsible for the funding of an interpreter, transliterator, or translator, as needed. Consideration is made for smaller agencies with lower annual operating budgets that may influence the agency's ability to provide access. See guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

At this time, third-party payers do not pay for the services of an interpreter. However, some third-party payers and insurers may require documentation for how the non-English language or communication system will be addressed prior to sending reimbursement.

Contracting

Clarify the party responsible for payment of interpreter, transliterator, or translator services when providing contracted services. For example, it may be determined that it is the facility's responsibility to provide appropriate accommodations for those services, or it may be decided that interpretation services should be listed as a line item in the services the clinician provides.

Service Provision

The client/patient/family should be consulted to determine the mode of communication or accommodation that is preferred and best suited to each clinical interaction. This choice may vary depending on the type of clinical encounter (i.e., meeting, counseling, assessment, intervention) and the needs of the setting. Consider that a client's equal access to services encompasses the continuum from making an appointment for services, to completing paperwork and case history forms, to participating in face-to-face meetings, to receiving written reports, as well as interaction during assessment and intervention.

During service provision, clinical encounters with the client and family may necessitate different types of interpreting, transliteration, and translation services.

Simultaneous Interpreting (SI) -the interpreter converts a speaker's or signer's message into another language while the speaker or signer continues to speak or sign. This approach may be used to keep meetings flowing without interruption in a clinical setting or when most persons at the table speak English. Simultaneous interpreting may be more commonly used with manually coded languages than with spoken languages due to the auditory interference that may be present in spoken language interpretations, if the interpreter is speaking at the same time as the clinician or the client/patient (Langdon & Saenz, 2016).

Consecutive Interpreting -the interpreter transmits the message after a section of the source language is produced and during a pause. The interpreted message is divided into segments of appropriate length in order to be conveyed to the target language and be well-understood. Compared with SI, consecutive interpreting may be more commonly used during assessment and intervention of spoken language. Additionally, interpreters of both spoken and manually coded languages may utilize consecutive interpretation when the client provides a great deal of information at once in order to fully comprehend the information and then accurately convey the meaning. Consecutive interpreting may also be preferred for clients/patients/families with compromised cognitive abilities (Langdon, 2002).

Effective interpreting may alternate between consecutive and simultaneous, depending on the needs of the clinical interaction and the communicative intent.

Oral Transliteration -the transliterator mouths words clearly so that people who are D/HOH and skilled in speech reading can understand what is being said by watching the transliterator's face, gestures, body language, and lips. Oral transliterators may choose to rephrase a message with words that are more visible on the lips when possible. They may also "voice" for individuals who are D/HOH (Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf, 2007).

Cued Speech Transliteration -the transliterator uses handshapes and movements in different locations near the mouth to depict sounds used in spoken language. Cued speech is generally used to support speech reading by providing a visual representation for the sounds in a language. However, it is not a form of sign language (National Cued Speech Association, 2006).

Sign Transliteration -the transliterator uses signs in the word order of the target spoken language (e.g., signed English) to convey the spoken message for people who are D/HOH who do not use a formal sign language (e.g., ASL).

Prepared Translation -the translator prepares the written version of a document, such as a letter or report, in advance. Enough time must be allowed on the basis of task complexity. A reminder-of-next-appointment letter will not take long. However, even a short assessment piece could take much longer, depending on the focus of the assessment. The clinician should be available to answer the translator's questions about the materials. Prepared translation may be the most common form of translation in clinical settings.

Prepared translation can be used to prepare instructions, assessment, treatment, and education materials in advance. In addition, prepared translation may be important when the clinician is providing written reports or documentation of assessments and progress, such as IEPs or discharge reports.

Sight Translation -the translator provides a spoken or signed translation while reading a written document in a clinical encounter reserved for more immediate and spontaneous needs. This approach is not a reasonable option for informed consent or other legal documents or for formal assessment measures. Sight translation may be used when the clinician decides that certain materials may be more appropriate to use in a clinical encounter than those which had been previously prepared (Langdon & Saenz, 2016).

Not all spoken and manually coded languages, including ASL, have a written form.

Technology

Technology offers opportunities for individuals to access interpretation, transliteration, and translation services.

Telephone or video relay/video remote interpreting services offer access to off-site interpreters or transliterators. Clinicians ensure that equipment will facilitate clear connections throughout the session and optimize communication.

Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART; or Computer Assisted Realtime) transcribes and instantaneously captions spoken language to relay messages; CART provides access to services for individuals who are D/HOH.

Apps and online translation allow for immediate translation. However, translation is more than merely word-for-word substitutions. Be cautious, as translation programs have not been proven to be a reliable source for quality translation.

Technology may be used to facilitate carryover and recall of strategies and techniques. Smartphones provide an opportunity to record spoken language and video signed languages to allow clients/patients/caregivers to revisit clinical recommendations.

Refusal of Services

At times, clients/patients/caregivers may refuse the assistance of an interpreter/transliterator. Clinicians consult with clients/patients/caregivers on the value of working with the assistance of the interpreter/transliterator in order to obtain the most accurate data. A signed release statement should be collected in cases where such services are declined.

On-Site Translation

All vital written documentation should be translated into the client's/patient's and/or family's preferred language, and clinicians should allow sufficient time for the translator to become familiar with these documents. Not all spoken or signed languages have written forms of communication.

There may be times when the interpreter or transliterator is asked to also provide translation services. However, translation requires different skills from interpreting and transliterating. Unless the interpreter is also a translator, the clinician should not expect this. Some qualified professional interpreters do not feel comfortable doing sight translation or written translation.

Software programs frequently look for verbatim substitutions and do not offer professional, reliable results. Interpreting and translating is not word-for-word substitution and may require more or fewer words to communicate an intended message as well as complete syntactic restructuring of sentences or even full paragraphs to maintain cohesion and coherence.

Assessment

The basis of an appropriate diagnosis of a communication disorder is a reliable, valid, and culturally and linguistically appropriate assessment. When conducting an assessment while collaborating with an interpreter, translator, or transliterator, clinicians

ensure that the interpreter or transliterator comprehends the importance of not cuing, prompting, or modifying prompts in an assessment situation and

recognize that, in many cases, words cannot merely be translated from English to the client's language (i.e., assessment lists for audiologic evaluations utilizing speech reception testing [SRT] are based on frequently occurring sounds in English).

Selection of appropriate assessment tools is based on the needs of the client/patient and the presenting concerns. Currently, only a limited number of tests have been translated, and an even smaller number of those assessments have been standardized for administration with the collaboration of an interpreter.

Prepared or on-site translation of formal assessments that have been standardized on English-speaking populations may provide the opportunity to gather information in a structured manner. However, the clinician must critically evaluate the validity of the translated materials. For example, speech sound elicitation materials may not elicit the same sounds, and allophonic variation will differ across languages; subject omission is acceptable in Spanish but not English, so in a sentence repetition task, take great care in how the data are used. Written permission is to be obtained from the test publisher before test materials can be translated for either a clinician's individual use or for dissemination of the translated version of the test for use on a wider scale (i.e., clinical program, district, or research group). In these circumstances, it is not appropriate to report standard scores.

Intervention

The intervention process and subsequent ongoing consultation allow for more prompting and feedback than assessment. Effective intervention also takes the cultural significance and relevance of goals into account. Therefore, it becomes critical for the clinician to share the overall goals of intervention sessions with the interpreter to optimize service delivery. When working with an interpreter or transliterator, the clinician does the following:

Considers the client's experience during the assessment process and, if possible, collaborates with the same interpreter or transliterator from assessment through intervention, as appropriate.

Explains to the interpreter or transliterator why and how various activities and exercises assist the client. Providing context for an activity is often helpful in accomplishing goals.

Understands that the role of the interpreter is to convey meaning-and, sometimes, there is not an equivalent word that can be translated. For example, in familiar word pairings used in a conceptual activity, the term "peanut butter and jelly" may not be culturally relevant to the client.

Engagement of family members may facilitate a carryover of clinical objectives and strategies to a functional environment that is beneficial to the client's progress. Intervention plans may include components on how to engage the family members and how the family will support the client in the home. The clinician considers communication preferences and interpretation/transliteration/translation needs for family members and caregivers, as well.

Documentation

Collaboration with an interpreter, transliterator, or translator and any observations regarding the impact of this collaboration on assessment and intervention findings should be documented in reports and submissions for insurance claims. Use of translated materials should also be indicated. This documentation provides an accurate record of clinical interaction and a legal record of the services provided. It also provides evidence of ethical conduct, consistent with Principle of Ethics I, Rules B and C (ASHA, 2016).

Legal and Ethical Concerns

Legal and ethical considerations are foundational to appropriate services. There may be times when services meet legal (local, state, federal) regulations/requirements but do not meet the fundamentals of ethical conduct. Codes of ethics or professional conduct are principles designed to help professionals conduct business honestly and with integrity, and are generally aspirational in nature. It is critical that clinicians have a working knowledge of both legal and professional ethics standards (i.e., practicing anti-discrimination in the provision of services, ensuring patient privacy)-as they pertain to working with interpreters, transliterators, and translators-to ensure appropriate clinical interactions.

State and Federal Legislation

State and federal regulations, along with industry standards, mandate equal access to services regardless of language used. A number of state and federal regulations have implications for audiologists and SLPs collaborating with interpreters, transliterators, and translators.

Rights to linguistic access to services may come from multiple pieces of legislation. "In 2008, all 50 states had at least two laws in place on language services in healthcare settings" (Au, Taylor, & Gold, 2009, p. 2). Differences in state regulations may be reflected in a number of requirements. See ASHA's state-by-state page for a summary of state requirements.

Executive Order 13,166

Executive Order 13,166 was signed in 2000 to provide guidance to federal agencies on the enforcement of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as it pertains to language access. It reminds agencies receiving federal funding that "health care organizations must offer and provide language assistance services, including bilingual staff and interpreter services, at no cost to each patient/consumer with limited English proficiency at all points of contact, in a timely manner, during all hours of operation" (Youdelman, 2008, para. 6). The guidance provided applies to any health care provider or entity that receives federal funding, including

Failure to ensure equal access may result in loss of funding.

Americans with Disabilities Act

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination and ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities in the areas of employment, state and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation. Congress has mandated the need for auxiliary aids and services-such as interpreters, transliterators, and translators-to ensure equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990). A language difference alone is not a disability. To confirm compliance, consult ADA's Checklist for General Effective Communication.

Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974

The Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974 states, "All children enrolled in public schools are entitled to equal educational opportunity without regard to race, color, sex, or national origin." No state can deny students the right to equal education by "failure by an educational agency to take 'appropriate action' to overcome language barriers that impede equal participation by its students in its instructional programs" (Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974).

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

For school-age children, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA) was enacted to ensure that all children with disabilities (age 3-21) have available to them a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment, and independent living.

Part B

IDEA states that, in the development, review, and revision of an IEP, the team must consider several factors with regards to interpreters:

(iv) Consider the communication needs of the child, and in the case of the child who is D/HOH, consider the language and communication needs, opportunities for direct communication with peers and professionals in the child's language and communication mode, academic level, and full range of needs including opportunities for direct instruction in the child's language and communication mode, and (v) Consider whether the child requires assistive communication devices and services. [IDEA § 1414(d)(3)(B)]

Parents and IEP teams assign or hire an interpreter on the basis of the child's mode of communication. Specifically,

[i]nterpreting services, as used with respect to children who are deaf or hard of hearing, includes oral transliteration services, cued language transliteration services, and sign language interpreting services. [IDEA, 34 C.F.R. 300.34(c)(4)]

Services for children who are learning English as a second language must take the language(s) of the home into consideration for both assessment and intervention. For children who receive services with an IEP under Part B (age 3-21), "When evaluating English language learner (ELL) students, it is important for speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to carefully review the child's language history to determine the language of assessment. If it is determined that the child should be evaluated in a language other than English, the SLP must use all available resources, including interpreters when necessary, to appropriately evaluate the child" (ASHA, n.d.-a, para 4).

Part C

For children who receive services with an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) under Part C (birth-2):

Language added to §§ 303.321(a)(5) and 303.321(a)(6) states that all evaluations and assessments of a child must be conducted in the native language of the child, in accordance with the definition of native language in § 303.25, unless clearly not feasible to do so. While the phrase 'unless clearly not feasible to do so' was inserted to acknowledge that there may be instances where conducting an assessment in the child's native language is not possible, the U.S. Department of Education, in the discussion section of the final regulations, clarifies that best efforts should be put forth to locate an on-site or telephonic interpreter when needed. (ASHA, n.d.-b)

Native language, as defined in § 303.25(a)(1) of IDEA, means "the language normally used by that individual, or in the case of a child, the language normally used by the parents of the child."

HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) provides national standards to protect the privacy of personal health information. Some regulations include provisions related to service providers working with interpreters, transliterators, and translators.

HIPAA allows covered health care providers to share a client/patient's health information with an interpreter without the patient's written authorization under the following circumstances:

A health care provider may share information with an interpreter (e.g., a bilingual employee, a contract interpreter on staff, or a volunteer) who works for the provider.

A health care provider may share information with an interpreter who is acting on its behalf (but who is not a member of the provider's workforce) if the health care provider has a written contract or other agreement with the interpreter that meets HIPAA's business associate contract requirements.

A health care provider may share information with an interpreter who is the patient's family member, friend, or other person identified by the patient as his or her interpreter, provided that (a) the patient agrees, or does not object, or (b) the health care provider determines, using his or her professional judgment, that the patient does not object.

Health Care and Organization Standards

The Joint Commission accredits and certifies health care organizations and programs in the United States. Patient-centered communication standards for hospitals are published in the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals (CAMH; The Joint Commission, n.d.). The standards address issues such as qualifications for language interpreters and translators, identifying and addressing patient communication needs, collecting patient race and ethnicity data, patient access to a support individual, and nondiscrimination in care.

National CLAS Standards

The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care (Office of Minority Health, n.d.) are intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health care disparities by providing a blueprint for individuals and health care organizations to implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services. Although these guidelines are not federal law, they are recommended by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Minority Health. With regards to communications and language assistance, the CLAS standards seek to

Ethics

ASHA's Code of Ethics (2016) provides the fundamentals of ethical conduct. Principles of Ethics and Rules of Ethics are specific statements of minimally acceptable as well as unacceptable professional conduct-and are applicable to all individuals who are ASHA members and/or certificate holders or who are applicants for membership and/or certification.

Although providing services to linguistically diverse individuals may require the assistance of trained interpreters or other bilingual professionals, it is the responsibility of the professional to understand the influence of issues related to cultural and linguistic diversity (e.g., second language acquisition, dialectal differences, bilingualism). Ultimately, the professional is responsible for the appropriate diagnosis and treatment/management of communication disorders, as well as of swallowing and balance disorders. (ASHA, 2017, Guidance section, Principle of Ethics I, Rule F, para 3)

Several provisions within the Code apply to working with individuals who use a language other than spoken English, including:

Periodically, the Board of Ethics develops Issues in Ethics Statements when further clarification and guidance are needed to assist in ethical service delivery. The Issues in Ethics statement, Cultural and Linguistic Competence , specifically addresses the use of interpreters for the provision of services (ASHA, 2017).

Case Studies

Case studies may serve to illustrate the complex decision-making process, as clinicians strive to provide the most appropriate services to individuals who do not use spoken English in the home.

Case Study 1

Rosita is 3 years, 8 months old. She came to the United States from Mexico 6 months ago with her parents and 1-year-old brother. Spanish is the language used at home. Five months ago, she enrolled in a Head Start preschool where only a few staff members speak Spanish. Many of the students also are native Spanish speakers. Three months after Rosita began preschool, her teacher referred her for a speech and language assessment. This is the first year that the SLP, who speaks only English, is providing services at this preschool. The SLP recently completed her clinical fellowship at a neighborhood school, and her mentor has moved out of state. The preschool director, also a monolingual English speaker, spent most of his long career at an elementary school where most students spoke only English. The SLP knows that she should not proceed without an interpreter. The school uses the teaching assistant, whose son attends the preschool, to assist with as-needed interpreting. The assistant is not a trained interpreter and is not comfortable with her own English skills. The SLP has taken her concerns to the director who, although sympathetic to the situation, is insistent that the SLP complete the evaluation.

Discussion

The administrators of Head Start programs are legally responsible for ensuring the appropriate provision of services per Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Given that the SLP is monolingual, adherence to the law would call for working with the assistance of an interpreter. The law does not specify the training and/or qualifications of the interpreter. ASHA's Principle of Ethics I, Rule B, states, "Individuals shall use every resource, including referral and/or interprofessional collaboration when appropriate, to ensure that quality service is provided." In order to ensure that they are meeting this requirement, the SLP may do two things: (1) seek out a trained interpreter or (2) provide training to the bilingual assistant to ensure high-quality services.

(as adapted from Chabon, Brown, Gildersleeve-Neumann, 2010)

Case Study 2

A clinician's supervisor asks him to evaluate a Cantonese-speaking 7-year-old girl. The girl's family came from China. No Cantonese-speaking SLP is available in the district, so the clinician evaluates her through an interpreter. This interpreter knows the dialect spoken by the child and understands the purpose of a speech-language evaluation and her role in the evaluation. The clinician knows of no standardized speech-language tests in Cantonese, and he knows it is inappropriate to report scores on translated tests. He has kept up to date on all related research, and his evaluation is consistent with current preferred practice guidelines for the assessment of bilingual/bicultural children.

A few days after the clinician submits his evaluation, he receives a phone call. His district has rejected his evaluation because test scores have not been not reported. He explains that translated tests are invalid because they do not take into account differences between the two languages. He also explains that the assessment procedures he followed provide an appropriate assessment of the child's communication skills.

His district supervisor, however, reminds him that, up until this point, he and every other SLP in the district have provided test scores. These scores, the district supervisor explains, were an easy way to see a child's level of performance to determine eligibility for services. So, the clinician must go back, retest the child using a translated test, and report those test scores.

The ethical dilemma: Does the clinician go back with his interpreter, have her translate the tests, and then determine eligibility based upon the child's scores?

Discussion

According to IDEA, there is a need to demonstrate academic impact and the absence or presence of a disability. A number of different measures may be used. There are no legal requirements that standard scores must be used to qualify an individual to receive services.

Principle of Ethics II indicates that "Individuals shall honor their responsibility to achieve and maintain the highest level of professional competence and performance" (ASHA, 2016). The clinician would not be honoring this responsibility if they knowingly uses standard scores from a translated version of an assessment that has not been validated on a population representative of the individual tested

(as adapted from Crowley, 2004).

Case Study 3

An audiologist who is employed at a hospital is working with an individual who uses cued speech to communicate. The audiologist knows that cued speech is the preferred communication system used by the client but does not have any information about how the individual best understands or uses written language. The audiologist has prepared some written reports to provide to the patient about the assessment results. The audiologist provides the patient with a written copy of the report without any additional support because cued speech is not a language in and of itself and is based on spoken English.

Discussion

Legally, all materials must be presented to the patient in their preferred language. In addition to legal requirements, the Joint Commission requires that patient intake forms request preferred language. Signed languages and manual communication systems do not have a written language component. English is often the presumed form of preferred written language; however, it may not be. It may be necessary to supplement written documentation with a cued speech transliterator in order to ensure comprehension. To ensure the best mode of communication, the preferred written language should be requested.

Case Study 4

A child who speaks Russian in the home exclusively is referred to an SLP. An interpreter was provided for the assessment, and the SLP determined that the child has a language disorder. The school administration and teachers want the SLP to provide intervention services in English only-because that is the language of the school. The SLP has concerns that this will not be sufficient to address the child's needs. What is the most ethical thing to do moving forward?

Discussion

IDEA states that the language of intervention should be the language most likely to yield the most accurate results. Although English is the language of the school in most cases, the language disorders of children who do not speak English can best be remediated in a language that they are familiar with. Executive Order 13,166 (2000) stipulates that agencies receiving public funding provide equal access to services regardless of language spoken. It is important that the SLP advocate for the most appropriate resources required to work with this child.

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Interpreter -a person trained to convey spoken or signed communications from one language to another. Interpretation services may be provided Clinicians are responsible for considering the goals of the session, discussing the client's/family's needs, evaluating the benefits of service in all language(s) necessary to facilitate the sessions goals, and determining the optimal interpreter to assist in the provision of services (Langdon & Saenz, 2016).

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National Association of Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages

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National Association of Educational Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages

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Occupational Therapy Across Languages: Working With Interpreters to Ensure Effective and Ethical Practice

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Occupational Therapy Across Languages: Working With Interpreters to Ensure Effective and Ethical Practice

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Navigating Google Classroom and Other Online Learning Platforms

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Navigating Google Classroom and Other Online Learning Platforms

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How-to videos for parents/guardians in Spanish, Arabic, Karen, Burmese and Somali, about topics including using Google Classroom, communicating with teachers, etc.

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Videos for the Kennewick School District

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Portuguese, Bengali, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Haitian, Korean, Arabic, Urdu, Albanian, Arabic, Polish, French, and Greek

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Google Classroom Student Tutorial Translation NYCDOE

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Parent & Guardian Guide to Using Google Classroom

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Parent & Guardian Guide to Using Google Classroom

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Spanish, Haitian-Creole and Portuguese

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Resources to Support Digital Learning with ELLs - Resources for Parents/Families

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This page contains a collection of resources to support parents as we transition to digital learning with students. Translations are available in the District's major languages.

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Google Classroom Tutorial video in Spanish

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Google Classroom Tutorial video in Spanish

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Google Classroom Spanish parent tutorial

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Short videos with information in Spanish for parents

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Hello! Welcome to my channel, my name is Mary Hernandez-Castellanos, I am a Spanish/English Community Interpreter. I am new to YoutTube my intention for creating this channel is to help our community navigate the Remote Platforms that are being used during Distant Learning with the features of Interpretation for the parents and other participants.

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Interpreters Adapting to Current Circumstances

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Interpreters Adapting to Current Circumstances

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As the novel coronavirus outbreak halted businesses and activities in the United States this March, Ohio courts shifted gears, limiting in-court appearances to only the most essential matters and delaying other cases to protect the public and court staff. Yet non-English speakers and individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing still need the assistance of interpreters if they have a matter in the state's courts. Interpreters have found ways to deliver their high-quality assistance while adjusting, with their court colleagues, to the ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Special Docket Days Held by Video Online
At the Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court, the staff adapted by scheduling "Zoom docket days," said Perla Martinez, the court's language interpreter coordinator. The trendy tool, which experienced massive upsurges coinciding with stay-at-home orders nationwide, now is relied upon by families, businesses, and many courts, including the Ohio Supreme Court. Martinez' court conducts Zoom sessions for status conferences in custody matters, for uncontested divorces, and for semiannual reviews in abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. Some of those events require interpreters.

"But video sessions with interpreters shouldn't be long or complicated," Martinez states.

Because these proceedings typically are short, they are suitable for interpreting remotely by video, she said.

Martinez also needs interpreters in person at the Columbus courthouse - for hearings involving juveniles, civil protection orders, and emergency shelter-care, as well as when setting up ankle monitoring of youth. The languages most in demand at the domestic relations court are Spanish, Somali, Nepali, and Arabic, said Martinez, who interprets Spanish.

For the meetings inside the court, Martinez looked into purchasing headsets for interpreting at a distance. That wasn't financially feasible because each courtroom would need not only equipment but also technical support staff to deal with glitches, she said. Instead, the interpreters, court staff, and participants have simply been abiding by physical distancing recommendations and wearing masks.

"It has worked so far. I haven't seen any issues with it," she said.

Making It Work with Online Sessions, by Moving Courtroom
Video conferencing has been the go-to alternative at the Lorain County Domestic Relations Court. Dina Hernandez, a certified Spanish interpreter for the court, said she's been able to effectively interpret via video.

"We would rather interpret in person," Hernandez said. "With Zoom, there are sometimes technical difficulties. And it's not simultaneous interpreting, so it's a little bit slower. But given the circumstances, it's good."

Most video and telephonic interpreting takes place in what's called the "consecutive mode" - the speaker says short sentences or statements and pauses to allow the interpreter to convey the meaning in the other language. Then the speaker continues, and pauses for the interpretation. In "simultaneous interpreting," the interpreter follows the speaker closely and simultaneously delivers the meaning.

The Lorain County court also holds face-to-face arraignments one day a week at the Elyria courthouse. Hernandez said that early in Ohio's response to the pandemic the court transformed a juror room near the building entrance into an area for arraignments. Participants don't have to wander the courthouse, and the space allows lawyers, defendants, court staff, and others to keep appropriate distances. The court's interpreters now use headsets so they can interpret for non-English speakers from afar, Hernandez said.

In-House Video Software Becomes More Valuable
The Cleveland Municipal Court restricted its operations from mid-March to early June to matters involving jailed defendants or emergency matters. Yrene Starke, interpreter coordinator for the court, said they depended on their internal video technology. While the judge, lawyers, and court staff such as Starke spread out and wear masks in one room, the defendant joins them by video from the courtroom next door.

With dwindling court dockets, the need for interpreters, not surprisingly, declined. Before Memorial Day, Starke said she had court requests to interpret only two languages - Spanish and Kinyarwanda, the official language of Rwanda. Typically, she said, the most prominent languages requiring interpreting are Spanish, Arabic, Nepali, Swahili, American Sign Language, and Kinyarwanda.

During the slow time, Starke seized the moment to attend a few dozen webinars and trainings about technology for interpreters and considerations for resuming operations in courts.

"It was highly informative to seek out guidance from experts and jurists in other jurisdictions, likewise struggling with these new challenges for the safe and expeditious administration of justice," she said.

She also translated important documents, notices, and administrative orders into Spanish, the language in which she is Court-certified, and coordinated translations of those materials into languages other than Spanish for the court and the public.

Interpreters Offer Differing Levels of Expertise
To assist the person who speaks Kinyarwanda, Starke turned to a telephonic interpreting service called LanguageLine Solutions, offered through the Ohio Supreme Court. Qualified interpreters are critical for fair court proceedings, so the Ohio Rules of Superintendence - the rules governing Ohio courts - direct the judicial branch how to select interpreters, based on training and qualifications.

The top tier is Supreme Court-certified foreign language interpreters or Supreme Court-certified sign language interpreters. Certified foreign language interpreters must meet general requirements, pass written and oral exams, participate in continuing education, and take an oath. Stepping down from that level are foreign language interpreters who are close to being certified (provisionally qualified) or meet certain other criteria (language-skilled). After that, courts can access LanguageLine Solutions to find foreign language interpreters to assist over the telephone.

Court-certified sign language interpreters qualify by meeting basic requirements, attending continuing education, and taking an oath. If a certified interpreter in American Sign Language isn't available, courts may turn to those with other appropriate certifications, which are listed in the rules.

The Court maintains a public roster of individuals who can interpret a broad array of foreign languages (currently, 29) and who can provide sign language interpreting. While in-person interpreting is the gold standard for legal proceedings, courts already had experience before the pandemic with reaching out across the state and the country to locate individuals with hard-to-find language skills.

Starke said the Cleveland Municipal Court resorts to interpreting by telephone only in emergencies, but it was valuable to have the telephone service available for the individual who needed assistance.

Technology, While Key, Has Limitations
The coronavirus health emergency has pushed technology to the forefront for courts. Tech tools are enabling courts to curtail the spread of the virus while ensuring justice.

"The coronavirus is placing us in a situation where we have to look at technology solutions for interpreting," said Bruno Romero, manager of the Court's Language Services Program.

Romero notes, though, that not all courts, nor all people, have the same hardware, software, broadband access, or support available for technical hurdles.

Martinez deals with the technological challenges as well.

"The legal system is complex," she said. "Domestic and juvenile courts are very stressful to begin with. Tack on that you need to have certain technology now. And not just technology, but then also finding access to an interpreter."

She adds that these circumstances are most difficult for individuals who don't have lawyers and are representing themselves in court. She finds they are most likely not to have internet at home or smartphones.

Guidance for Growing Reliance on Video

The increasing use of video as a tool for interpreting led the Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on Language Services to draft guidance for video remote interpreting (VRI) for the Court's review, approval, and distribution.

One frontline, easily accessible resource for courts is the Supreme Court's roster of interpreters. The roster now identifies the languages that can be accessed through VRI and meet the Court's requirements, as laid out in the superintendence rules for courts statewide. The roster flags the interpreters who can do their work by video.

VRI comes with cautions similar to those given for in-person interpreting. Romero said VRI works best for routine, simple matters, and in hearings or events lasting less than two hours. It's important, when possible, to obtain consent from the party needing interpreting services. Also crucial are providing the interpreter with detailed case information ahead of time and allowing the interpreter and the non-English speakers or hearing-impaired person to "meet" beforehand.

Courts also should build in time so the individuals needing an interpreter and their attorneys can have privileged discussions with the interpreter's assistance. That could take place in the courtroom or a separate location, but confidential communications with a person who uses sign language must be shielded from the view of others.

Romero points out that for those requiring sign-language interpreting, courts need to abide by enhanced camera and screen specifications.

"You want to see facial expressions clearly, but you also need to capture more visuals, such as body gestures, for sign language," he explains.

While courts still have concerns about providing access to justice for individuals in the midst of a pandemic, they also see upsides to depending on VRI more frequently, Romero said. For one, the costs for interpreters' parking and mileage would evaporate - resulting in savings for the judicial branch.

Interpreters Explore Ideas for Safe Face-to-Face Interactions

Starke said that, beginning in June, three or four of the Cleveland Municipal Court's 12 judges returned on-site, as other courts across the state also were resuming more of their operations. To limit the traffic coming into the building, the court encourages defendants pleading not guilty to do so online. The court also continues to use technology, such as Zoom, to handle most of the criminal and civil dockets remotely. Since early June, requests for interpreters have climbed, Starke said. Among the latest languages needing interpreters were Cantonese, Swahili, and Farsi.

Starke said the most difficult aspects for interpreters in the changing court landscape during the pandemic are ensuring equal communication access for defendants and protecting attorney-client privilege while following the sanitary and health guidelines. For interpreting, her court is addressing the issues by upgrading to headsets that offer two-way communication and disposable ear and microphone covers. The court spent about $2,500 to purchase the equipment, determining that the headsets are essential to continuing its operations.

With their current one-way system, the interpreter talks into a transmitter, and the defendant, witness, or victim needing interpreting has a receiver to listen. Starke said the new headsets both transmit and receive, like a telephone, allowing the individual to hear the interpreter's words and to speak to the interpreter. The two-way set up supports simultaneous interpreting and makes it easier for interpreters to maintain physical distance while keeping communications between parties private, Starke explains.

In Franklin County, Martinez said the number of interpreters needed in June bumped back up to two to five hearings each day. Of course, all the health guidelines remain in place, so they wear masks and limit the number of people in the courtrooms to fewer than 10.

Concerted Efforts Undertaken to Find Interpreters

Part of Romero's responsibilities is to assist local courts with locating interpreters. Since the pandemic began, he's received requests for languages never asked for before. The Mercer County Juvenile Court needed an interpreter for the Mossi language, spoken in Burkina Faso and a few other west African countries, and the Union County Municipal Court was looking for someone to interpret an Indian dialect called Kannada.

For a murder case in Mercer County, he helped find an interpreter for the defendant, who speaks Marshallese - the language of the Marshall Islands. A number of Marshallese who left their island home in the north Pacific Ocean have settled in the western Ohio county. Romero said the court couldn't use any of the local Marshallese residents for interpreting because they knew the defendant and the victim.

Searching outside Ohio, Romero eventually found someone living in South Carolina who had been a missionary in the Marshall Islands. The former missionary did much of the interpreting work remotely by telephone, then flew to Ohio to assist in person, Romero said.

"The language dictates how far I search," he explains.

Ultimately, he said, interpreters should follow the same guidance during the pandemic as everyone else - skip shaking hands, wear masks, and maintain at least six feet of distance. He notes that it also may be helpful for interpreters to purchase their own equipment, as long as they disinfect the equipment between uses.

Even with the unusual circumstances and occasional difficulties, interpreters have been resourceful and are sorting out how to keep delivering their vital services to the courts and to the individuals who have a fundamental need for their skills.

"Interpreters will still be there for people, but probably in a different form," Romero said.
CREDITS:

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As the novel coronavirus outbreak halted businesses and activities in the United States this March, Ohio courts shifted gears, limiting in-court appearances to only the most essential matters and delaying other cases to protect the public and court staff.

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MILWAUKEE - Dozens of middle schoolers across eight different Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) braved the bright lights and big stage to compete in the district's spelling bee.

Two of the three champions came from Humbolt Park School, but spelling each word correctly was only half of the challenge for 8th grader Rojinah Faruk and 6th grader Rachel Lar.

"My heart was beating very fast because there were a lot of people looking at me," said Faruk.

"I was nervous about speaking in front of the microphone, because it'd be broadcasted," said Lar.

The two were able to overcome their nerves and articulate each letter perfectly, landing them gold trophies.

"I don't think that any of these kids have ever been on a stage or spoken to an audience, they just had the poise," said Jennifer Mccoy, a teacher at Humbolt.

Mccoy helped students prepare for the bee, but saw something particularly unique about this group.

"Most of the students that participated have English as their second language."

This was the case for both Faruk and Lar who placed first.

"When I saw them, they looked really happy for me and also shocked because they didn't know that I was studying so much and that I knew how to spell all these large words," said Lar.

"My parents, well, since they don't know much English, I practiced by myself and with my little brother," said Faruk.

This marks the first spelling bee for the district in 15 years.

Congrats, champs!

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MPS Spelling Bee Champions competed with English as their second language

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MILWAUKEE - Dozens of middle schoolers across eight different Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) braved the bright lights and big stage to compete in the district's spelling bee. Two of the three champions came from Humbolt Park School, but spelling each word correctly was only half of the challenge for 8th grader Rojinah Faruk and 6th grader Rachel Lar.

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13 July - When the coronavirus pandemic brought New York City to a halt, United Nations interpreters ran into big trouble: their booths and equipment were no longer accessible. However, they are rising to the challenge, exploring new ways to service multilateral meetings, including from their homes.

This story, with portraits produced remotely by UN Photo, documents how these professionals have been responding to new challenges COVID-19 added to their already daunting job of providing simultaneous interpretation in six UN official languages - Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

On Friday, 13 March, Konstantine Orlov, Chief of the Russian Interpretation Section, serviced his last in-person meeting at UN Headquarters before the pandemic sent the Big Apple into lockdown. The following Monday, 16 March, "we all went into telecommuting," he said.

"We unexpectedly found ourselves in our apartments wondering how to continue performing our duties and contribute to multilingualism," said Veronique Vandegans, Chief of the French Interpretation Section. "However, it quickly became apparent that we could adapt and interpret remotely, given the proper equipment, testing and training."

To comply with local health advisories, UN Headquarters has since remained closed to the public and cancelled face-to-face meetings, with most staff members working from home. As an alternative, Member States are holding meetings virtually, without interpretation. The UN Secretariat is preparing a phased return of staff to the UN premises, with Phase 1 of the UN plan set to begin on 20 July, during which delegates are mostly expected to meet online.

During the current Phase Zero, UN interpreters are experimenting with different modes of remote interpretation, under the guidance of a taskforce created to find new ways to provide the Organization's interpretation service.

"Currently, meetings are being held in one working language," said Adrian Delgado, Senior Interpreter in the Spanish Interpretation Section. "Attempts are being made, with a degree of success, to reinstate multilingual meetings."

Multilingualism is instrumental in intergovernmental negotiations, which "are the heart and soul of the United Nations," Mr. Delgado emphasized.

Ms. Vandegans explained that ideas are always better expressed in the speaker's native language. "Speakers attach great importance to conveying all the nuances inherent to international diplomacy. The eagerness of Member States to have interpreters back in the booth, though virtual, illustrates the importance of multilingualism."
Unchartered waters for interpreters and delegates
Working from home is uncharted territory for UN interpreters.

One major challenge is to find a suitable place in their homes. Even under optimal conditions, a home location is not on par with a confined booth, where interpreters can reach the high level of concentration their job requires.

"At first, I prepared my workspace by kicking my kids and husband out of the apartment to create the quiet setting I needed," said Ms. Vandegans. "As this is not a sustainable option, I now try to coax my two young children into being as quiet as possible while mommy is working."

Children, pets and singing birds are lovely additions to a home, but not to a virtual booth, she said, adding that upon hearing the delegates' children in remote meetings, she felt relieved: "We all are in the same boat."

For Qiyun Zhang, Chief of the Chinese Interpretation Section, the new set-up has been easier. "Fortunately, my kids are grown-ups and they don't live with me." She works from her study, which offers a quiet and comfortable environment.

Lana Ayyad, Chief of Arabic Interpretation Section, converted her home's guest room into an office. She bought herself a desk and a chair, and "even drilled a hole in the wall to connect my Ethernet cable from my router to my laptop in the guest room."

Martin Pickles, an Interpreter in the English Interpretation Section, works at his dining table, he said, as "it is ideally placed for the modem and provides a lot of space to spread out paper and documents."

Mr. Orlov feels fortunate to have a spacious house. His favourite spot is in a room with northern exposure and a nice breeze, the wall adorned with the childhood artwork of his son.

Mr. Delgado is now outfitting his small bedroom to be used as a "domestic interpretation booth."
Distractions and sound quality
Still, they face various distractions, such as noise from neighbours, deliveries, incoming phone calls, and the wind howling over the river. Grocery shopping, cooking, dishwashing and other household chores are now part of their scheduled work activities.

Another challenge is to get the right equipment with adequate specifications, including hardware and software, and ensure seamless Internet connectivity. This is particularly important not only for interpreters but also for delegates. For messages to be conveyed accurately, speakers in any virtual meeting need to do their part.

The interpreters stress that the quality of the interpretation is intrinsically linked to the quality of the original. If a speaker doesn't have a proper microphone or delivers a speech quickly while children are playing in the background, even the best interpreter won't be able to perform optimally.

"Audio quality needs to be crisp so that words are heard clearly," said Ms. Ayyad. "For example, you do not want an interpreter to confuse 'can' and 'can't'."

In their profession, the margin of error is narrow, the interpreters explained, hoping Member States will be understanding as they work hard to perfect the new system of work, which they believe will never be as good and seamless as servicing meetings in person.
'Split-second' coordination
UN interpreters usually work in pairs or a team of three in a booth. However, they work solo at home.

"In a normal situation, the coordination among the team of three went smoothly," said Ms. Zhang. "However, in a virtual setting, we don't see each other."

Mr. Orlov added, "Interpreting from home is a completely new skill that needs to be acquired and developed."

Mr. Delgado pointed out that "working from home reduces to a great extent the element of process visualization and the ability to visually communicate in a split second with booth members."

Ms. Ayyad explained that if one interpreter is live, the other helps with the documents and the statements. When they handover the mic to each other, they make eye contact or some sort of sign. If a colleague on the mic misses a number or a term, others scribble it on a piece of paper to show the colleague. "Working in a dispersed mode robs us of this teamwork," she said.

Mr. Pickles agreed: "Interpreting is very much a team profession and we rely very heavily on each other as boothmates and partners."

Despite all these challenges, the six language teams have developed ways to communicate with each other, for instance, by using group chats or apps to determine the order of turns - who goes first, second and third on the mic - and how to replace a colleague in the event of sudden disconnection, Ms. Zhang said.

Mr. Delgado, however, noted that due to poor sound proofing, unreliable networks, and inconsistent audio or video feeds, "the best attempt at recreating a conducive environment to interpret from home will always be a second best."

Interpreters are also part of a bigger team, working with conference officers, sound technicians, various personnel from the secretariats of the different committees and bodies they serve, and sometimes delegates.

"Remote interpretation makes this extremely hard," said Ms. Zhang, noting that coordination beyond their language units is a challenge yet to overcome.
Multitasking and health hazards
In a normal booth setting, UN conference officers deliver copies of written statements to interpreters, who are now expected to monitor several screens to follow the meeting, view the agenda, check the speakers' list and access the statements online, while keeping an eye on WhatsApp threads. "That requires a lot of multitasking," said Ms. Vandegans.

The new mode of interpretation may also come with unintended health hazards, such as rapid loss of hearing. Remote interpreting is more stressful because interpreters must focus on several things simultaneously, including the handover procedure, the messages in group chats and making sure that the microphone is on or off during the handover.

There has been major progress, however. "While still in its infancy, remote interpretation will soon become a well-established modality to service meetings," said Mr. Delgado.
Co-location mode
In addition to operating from home, interpreters are also rehearsing to execute the co-location set up, in which interpreters perform their jobs from their booths in UN Headquarters, while most participants join the meeting virtually.

"We had been considering remote interpretation modalities for a few months before COVID, but it was more related to the context of meetings held remotely while the interpreters worked from the booths in UN Headquarters," says Ms. Ayyad.

So far, interpreters tested this mode during a high-level event on financing for development on 28 May, and a meeting commemorating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the signing of the UN Charter on 26 June. Because of physical distancing requirements, each interpreter was assigned an individual booth.

On 10 July, they tested a combination of 'co-location' and 'work-from-home' modes on a large scale at the High-level Political Forum, with meeting participants joining virtually.
New normal
If there's a silver lining to the disruption the crisis brought to interpreters, it's that they now have a business continuity plan, with new modalities to cope with different scenarios.

"We will return with a new set of skills - remote interpreting - that could be useful for business continuity purposes in the event of future unforeseen circumstances," said Mr. Pickles.

During the lockdown period and beyond, demand for their services declined. However, interpreters have been using the extra time they have to hone their skills and take training courses on new interpretation platforms.

"We also did some background work that we didn't have the time to do collectively under normal circumstances, namely, building glossaries on various subjects and sorting out the positions of our clients on major issues discussed at the UN," said Ms. Zhang.

Due to the introduction of remote interpretation, interpreters may eventually see a reduction in their official travel to conferences and events outside the Headquarters.

"This saddens me because a happy part of my job was being given the chance to leave the booth and travel to different cities to attend conferences and meet new people and colleagues in different duty stations and missions," said Ms. Ayyad.

Despite the task they perform with mechanical precision, interpreters are human beings with emotions. "Working from home makes me feel pretty lonely," said Mr. Orlov. He is looking forward to returning to his booth.

Note: On 14 July, the Security Council held its first in-person meetings in four months, with interpretation provided in all six official languages.

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Portraits: UN interpreters adapt to new work modes during COVID-19 | United Nations

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This story, with portraits taken remotely by UN Photo, shows how United Nations interpreters are responding to new challenges COVID-19 added to their already daunting job of providing simultaneous interpretation in six UN official languages - Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

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Radio show featuring Indigenous Languages

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Radio show featuring Indigenous Languages

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Translating the pandemic: Bay Area radio hosts broadcast in indigenous languages

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Stay tuned to North Bay radio station KBBF 89.1 after one of its English-language coronavirus-related broadcasts and you'll also hear a version in Spanish. And Mixteco, and Triqui and Chatino.

Despite the ubiquity of COVID-19 coverage in news media, there are still many indigenous people in the U.S. from Mexico and Central America who are left in the dark about important health matters because they speak minimal English or Spanish. Even though many languages that are indigenous to Southern Mexico are now endangered, an estimated one-third of California's farm workers speak at least one.

Multilingual DJs at some California radio stations fill these neglected news niches by broadcasting in multiple languages, often providing community-specific information that mainstream outlets miss. Santa Rosa-based KBBF has broadcast in English and Spanish across Northern California for almost 50 years but aired its first regular indigenous language programs during the 2017 Kincade fires as a way to connect with at-risk Mexican immigrants who did not speak either language.

That crisis has readied the station for the coronavirus. One of its two indigenous-focused shows is Radio Autóctona Indigenista, which airs from 6 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. Gervacio Peña López, one of the show's four hosts, said there are many migrant workers in Sonoma County who can only speak in their first, native language.

"Some understand the basics of Spanish, but not enough to receive all the information when there is a health risk or a real emergency," López said. López and co-host Xulio Soriano speak Mixteco on the show; Maribel Merino and Fausto Gusman speak Triqui.

The four hosts explain where listeners can receive help with food insecurity, how rent rules are changing and how mothers can find care for their kids while they're in virtual classes. Now, as counties roll back stay-at-home restrictions, they will provide guidelines for the many indigenous Latinos working outdoor jobs.

RELATED: Why your N95 mask could endanger others

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Translating the pandemic: Bay Area radio hosts broadcast in indigenous languages

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Stay tuned to North Bay radio station KBBF 89.1 after one of its English-language coronavirus-related broadcasts and you'll also hear a version in Spanish. And Mixteco, and Triqui and Chatino. Despite the ubiquity of COVID-19 coverage in news media, there are still many indigenous people in the U.S.

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Virtual Learning in a Different Language

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Virtual Learning in a Different Language

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The parents of millions of American schoolchildren are not fluent in English, presenting an extra challenge to learning at home.

A closed school in Kentfield, Calif., this month. Credit... Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

OAKLAND, Calif. - Like many parents, Zainab Alomari has spent the last month trying to help her children learn at home. But unlike most, she has been talking to teachers and working through lessons in a language she barely understands.

Ms. Alomari came to the United States in 2006 from Yemen, where she spoke Arabic. She knows only a few basic English words and phrases.

Four of her six children attend Oakland public schools. When teachers call, Ms. Alomari makes sure her daughter Maysa, 15, is around to serve as an interpreter, handing her the phone mid-conversation. When one of her children has a question about the instructions on an assignment, Ms. Alomari relies on Google Translate.

Her husband is gone most days to run the family's grocery business, leaving Ms. Alomari, 39, alone to help the children.

"I'm doing my best," she said through an interpreter. "But I don't know if this is going to affect their learning."

Remote schooling poses a special challenge for families who are not fluent in English. About five million American schoolchildren are classified as English-language learners, meaning they lack fluency, and even more come from homes where their parents speak a different language.

Nearly a quarter of immigrants and their American-born children live in poverty, and Hispanic immigrants, in particular, are less likely to have access to a computer or home internet service. Even before the coronavirus outbreak, English-language learners were at high risk for chronic absenteeism.

Online school during the pandemic "exacerbates what's already there," said Tatyana Kleyn, an associate professor of bilingual education at City College of New York. "The students who were struggling are now getting further behind because they have less support."

For some school districts with large low-income immigrant populations, like Oakland's, the first order of business after moving to online learning in March was reaching out - sometimes in multiple languages - to find out if students had access to technology, food and other essentials at home. Then teachers and administrators tried to check in with parents about schooling.

Some California districts were particularly well prepared. Many schools in the state use software that can send text messages - often the best way to reach parents - in multiple languages.

In other states, including Nebraska, some districts are airing classes on their local public broadcasting stations, including instruction in Spanish. Guilford County School District in North Carolina established an information hotline staffed with interpreters who speak seven languages.

In the Oakland Unified School District, which Ms. Alomari's children attend, 33 percent of students are English-language learners, and 5 percent are "newcomers" who have been in the country less than three years and speak a language other than English at home.

To reach more of these students, the district has published a list of learning resources in Spanish, Chinese, Khmer and Arabic, and teachers are making an extra effort to reach out to them.

Students in Oakland schools are not required to turn in assigned homework while the district is closed because of the coronavirus, a policy intended for families like Ms. Alomari's, according to the district's director of communications, John Sasaki. The district is also not taking regular attendance during the crisis.

Simone Delucchi is one of the teachers who has been calling to check on Ms. Alomari's daughter Maysa, who is in eighth grade. Although communicating in English "takes a lot of effort" for Ms. Alomari, she has helped Ms. Delucchi get in touch with other students from Yemeni families. "Maysa is usually nearby to help sort things out," Ms. Delucchi said.

But not every school, teacher or parent has been able to make things work. Some districts, especially small or rural ones, do not translate content into languages other than English, or have limited resources to do so. DeSoto County in Mississippi has one Spanish translator serving 42 schools in the district, according to its website, and translating a document such as a lesson plan can take up to 10 days.

Possible solutions to help low-income families and immigrant students include expanding Wi-Fi hot spots in poorer neighborhoods and hiring more translators in schools. The National Education Association, the national teachers' union, is pushing Congress to include both in the next economic stimulus package, according to its president, Lily Eskelsen García. In Colorado, the teachers' union is calling for the creation of a "hardship fund" to help undocumented migrant families, who are barred from accessing federal economic relief.

Araceli Torres, 36, is a single mother living in Coachella, Calif., with her two sons, who are 17 and 6. When schools first moved to online instruction, she had no computer or internet connection, so her sons did their homework on borrowed cellphones.

In the weeks since, she has borrowed a laptop from the school district and is using her phone as a Wi-Fi hot spot.

Ms. Torres, an immigrant from Mexico, works two to three days a week cleaning houses, even during the crisis. She has put her older son in charge of helping his little brother with homework, but she is concerned that neither of them are getting the support they need.

She worries more about her older son, and drafts emails to his teachers in Spanish, then converts them to English using Google Translate, to ask how he is doing.

She has no idea if the translations are correct, she said in Spanish, but she sends them anyway. "I wish I could help him more."

This article is a partnership between The New York Times and The Fuller Project. Khushbu Shah contributed reporting.

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Imagine Online School in a Language You Don't Understand (Published 2020)

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The parents of millions of American schoolchildren are not fluent in English, presenting an extra challenge to learning at home. OAKLAND, Calif. - Like many parents, Zainab Alomari has spent the last month trying to help her children learn at home.

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She has no time for schoolwork - so Maira Ramirez feels a pang of guilt when her phone buzzes with class assignments while she's working double shifts at a kosher market to support her financially-strapped family during the pandemic.

"I would be at work and see the notifications pop up on Google Classrooms," said Ramirez, a 20-year-old student at West Brooklyn Community High School - a transfer school for students who have struggled in traditional high schools.

"I'd be like 'Damn, I can't even do them.'"

Since the coronavirus hit and her mom lost her job as a cleaner, Ramirez has worked 12- to 14-hour shifts many days to help cover her family's financial gaps. Sometimes she gets to work at 9 a.m. and isn't able to get to bed until 1 a.m.. She has hardly a minute to spare for the remote learning assignments she needs to graduate this June.

"I feel like sometimes my mind is everywhere else but school," Ramirez said. "I want to make it a priority, but there's things that come and distract me from putting my all into it."

Ramirez's impossible juggling act illustrates a desperate situation for older students across the city, especially in its poorest neighborhoods: Many high school students have taken on new responsibilities in the pandemic, from extra work to caring for siblings. Educators worry the most vulnerable students will lose their grip on school.

"Oh my God, we're worried about it," said Rachel Forsyth, a director at Good Shepherd Services, a nonprofit that works with transfer high schools.

"It's overwhelming to see how hard it is for our students to connect at home," Forsyth said.

She asks the students: "Do you have the wherewithal to stick with school right now?" "Even if they want to, many of them can't," Forsyth said.

Before the pandemic, Ramirez carefully planned her schedule to accommodate school and work. "It took a lot of trial and error to get it [the schedule] to the place I want to be. And then the quarantine came and messed it all up," she said.

She sneaks in schoolwork where she can - scarfing down lunch so she can use the remainder of her break to scan assignments on her phone, and trying to complete at least one assignment before she falls asleep each night.

The tight-knit community of the transfer school has helped her stay on track. Her counselor, Christian Velasco, texts her every day. "Sometimes I'll just ask her how she's doing," Velasco said. "A little bit of connection is just something."

West Brooklyn Community High's program director, Karen Dette, dropped off a new laptop at Ramirez's house when she learned her computer wasn't working.

"They give me all the support they can," Ramirez said. "I appreciate my school for understanding that I have to do it [work] for certain reasons sometimes."

There's good reason to fear older students are at the highest academic risk in the pandemic. Education Department data shows high-schoolers participating in virtual classes at lower rates than younger students.

Nationwide, 40% percent of high school students hadn't attended a single online class by April 8, according to a recent poll. Experts who have studied past extended emergency school closures warn older students bore the brunt of the impact, and that high school dropout rates could increase while fall college enrollment numbers drop.

That worries educators at the city's transfer high schools, where students are often older and behind on credits.

"Our students are behind and the clock is ticking on them," said Forsyth, who has worked with transfer students for 19 years. Students age out of the public school system at 21, though city officials are working with the state to see if that deadline can be extended this year.

While there's no definitive data on how many teenagers are working during the pandemic, educators at multiple city high schools - both transfer and traditional - said they see students working longer-than-normal hours in essential businesses like grocery stores or delivery services.

"We have three or four who are really struggling," said Brady Smith, the principal of James Baldwin High School in Chelsea. "They have all expressed that they have longer shifts or additional shifts. Coworkers falling ill, having to fill in shifts and things like that."

Crystal Long, a 16-year-old sophomore at Bronx Academy of Letters in Mott Haven, has been working extra hours at her supermarket job because the store is short-handed and her mom is unable to work.

"It's been a lot," the teenager told the Daily News.

It's not just the long hours that wear on Crystal: at her job, she sees the toll of the pandemic up close.

"It's kind of sad. Like just seeing everybody struggling. One of the customers cried to me" because her food stamps didn't cover her purchase. Crystal paid for the woman's groceries out of her own paycheck.

Some students are already losing academic ground. Several West Brooklyn students who had chance of graduating in June had to push their graduation date back because they couldn't accumulate credits as quickly through remote learning as they could at school, said Dette.

City officials announced a new remote learning grading policy Tuesday that allows high school students who don't pass a course to make up credits over the summer, in time for an August graduation, and up until next January. Special attention will be given to seniors, officials said.

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"We want our schools to demonstrate flexibility and understanding of these circumstances," said Education Department spokeswoman Danielle Filson.

Giving students extra time to meet graduation requirements helps, said Dette. She just hopes she doesn't lose any students in the meantime.

"How do we remind them that goal and dream is real still?" she said. "It may mean taking a summer class and continuing through to November."

Ramirez, who was recently accepted to three colleges, is determined to finish high school in June, despite the long hours ahead. She managed to take this week off to catch up.

"I can't let this ruin me graduating," she said.

Recommended on Daily News

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Older NYC high school students working during coronavirus pandemic struggle to keep a grip on classwork

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Maira Ramirez feels a pang of guilt when her phone buzzes with class assignments while she's working double shifts at a kosher market to support her financially-strapped family during the pandemic. "I would be at work and see the notifications pop up on Google Classrooms," said Ramirez, a 20-year-old student at West Brooklyn Community High School - a transfer school for students who have struggled in traditional high schools.

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Three years and countless hours of audio material later, Bertha Catholique is the first of 17 people to finish translating stories in her language for the CBC's Indigenous languages archives project.

"I feel like I'm leaving a legacy behind as ... a language keeper and a teacher," said Catholique, who is originally from Łútselk'e and speaks Dënësųłinë́ - or Chipewyan.

"I've always been working with my language, and I'm so passionate for my language."

Catholique says she clocked about 3,500 stories from the archives, which she translated into English. Some of the oldest material she worked on dates back to the early 1970s.

The translators, in Yellowknife, Iqaluit, Whitehorse, Montreal and Toronto, have been working for about three years to preserve and archive 75,000 hours worth of recorded stories collected over six decades in eight Indigenous languages: Gwich'in, Inuvialuktun, Tłı̨chǫ​,​​​ North Slavey, South Slavey, Dënësųłinë́, Cree and Inuktitut.

Among the stories Catholique translated was one she first heard as a child.

In it, her late auntie recalls going out trapping with her family - something they did every spring. But during this particular trip, Catholique's cousin suddenly heard the sound of an airplane while out playing, and discovered it had crashed.

When the family went to investigate, they found a mother who had been killed. But, miraculously, her baby was still alive.

"I always wanted to know the real truth, and she told the truth and I recorded it," said Catholique. "So that really stood out in my mind."

That's not the only time Catholique has heard a familiar voice on the old tapes. She recognized many people - from cousins, to uncles, to friends.

"The only people that I didn't really know [were] people from [the] Saskatchewan area," she said. "But it's funny - I got to know them through their stories."

Love for language began in childhood

Catholique has been a translator of sorts since she was a kid.

When her family moved from Łútselk'e to Yellowknife when she was young, she learned to speak Tłı̨chǫ. Her mother also taught her English.

"My dad, he always encouraged me, telling me to go to school to learn the language because he didn't know how to read and write in English. So I taught him how to write his name," she said.

"I always interpreted for him then. So ever since then I just thought, 'OK, well I'll just go with the language.' And I love doing it too."

But it's no walk in the park; translating is hard work, Catholique says.

At times, she'd find herself stuck on a word. However, she says she could always find help from the other archivists - even those who don't speak Chipewyan.

"Because we all are originally from the land, even though we have different languages, we all still have the same lifestyle. So that's how we're helping each other," she explained.

"Tłı̨chǫ and Chipewyan are almost really close. [Another translator] would say something in Tłı̨chǫ language, and then that's how I'd pick it up."

Especially when the elders are telling you a joke in their language, it's more funny if you really understand. - Bertha Catholique

There were moments of humour too.

"Especially when the elders are telling you a joke in their language, it's more funny if you really understand," Catholique said. "That's what I like about it."

6 decades, 8 languages, 75,000 hours

The CBC's Indigenous languages archives project is not only a way to preserve the intricate history of the North and its people, but to share it with the rest of the world.

Stories are being digitized from reel-to-reel tape that has been deteriorating over the years - some of it dating back to the 1950s. The hope is to eventually make the recordings available online through different organizations.

It's still like, I can't believe it, like, I did it all by myself. - Bertha Catholique

Catholique says she didn't know much about cataloguing when she first got the job. Now, with thousands of stories under her belt, she's proud of her work.

"It's still like, I can't believe it, like, I did it all by myself," she said.

She also has a message for others, which she originally shared in her own language.

"I just told them that it's really good to be educated, to go to school and also hang on to your language," she said. "Because the language makes you a person who you are, and you're stronger if you can speak your language well."

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'I'm leaving a legacy': 1st translator completes stories for Indigenous archives project | CBC News

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Three years and countless hours of audio material later, Bertha Catholique is the first of 17 people to finish translating stories in her language for the CBC's Indigenous languages archives project. "I feel like I'm leaving a legacy behind as ...

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Special Education Forms (Marshallese, Spanish and Vietnamese)

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Division of Elementary and Secondary Education - Offices

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Arkansas Computer Science Initiative Child Nutrition Unit Communications Educator Effectiveness Facilities and Transportation Fiscal and Administrative Services Information Technology Learning Services Legal Services Legislative Services Public School Accountability Research and Technology Special Projects

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From Nebraska Department of Education

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Special Education Forms (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese)

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Alabama SES - Forms - Alabama State Department of Education

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Through leadership and service, the vision of Special Education Services (SES) is to foster positive educational outcomes for all students with special needs.​

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Occupational Therapy Across Languages: Working With Interpreters to Ensure Effective and Ethical Practice

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Occupational Therapy Across Languages: Working With Interpreters to Ensure Effective and Ethical Practice

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Conversations with a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist

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Conversations with a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist

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Interview with

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Address

P.O. Box 944
Snellville, GA, 30078, US

NAETISL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Gifts to NAETISL are tax deductible to the maximum extent of the law.

© Copyright 2021 NAETISL | All Rights Reserved

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Address P.O. Box 944 Snellville, GA, 30078, US NAETISL is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Gifts to NAETISL are tax deductible to the maximum extent of the law. © Copyright 2021 NAETISL | All Rights Reserved

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Free Spanish Textbooks to Learn English - PreK-6th Grade

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Free Spanish Textbooks to Learn English - PreK-6th Grade

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Free textbooks teaching English as a Second Language provided by the Mexican government website.

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La Comisión Nacional de Libros de Texto Gratuitos “CONALITEG” es un organismo descentralizado de la Administración Pública Federal sectorizada, a la Secretaría de Educación Pública, cuyo objeto social es la producción y distribución de los libros de texto gratuitos, material educativo y de apoyo en…

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Translations for 3 different forms available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

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Center for Parent Information and Resources - Spanish

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Center for Parent Information and Resources - Spanish

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Wide range of information in Spanish about parenting FAQs, early childhood, disabilities, etc.

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Center for Parent Information and Resources c/o Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN) 35 Halsey St., 4th Floor Newark, NJ 07102 (973) 642-8100

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Project SALUTE (Successful Adaptations for Learning to Use Touch Effectively)

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Project SALUTE (Successful Adaptations for Learning to Use Touch Effectively)

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English/Spanish information sheets for families of children who are deaf-blind.

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Articles

Chen, D., Downing, J., & Rodriguez-Gil, G. (2001). Tactile strategies for children who are deaf-blind: Considerations and concerns from Project SALUTE. Deaf-Blind Perspectives, 8(2), 1-6.

Downing J., & Chen, D. (2003). Tactile strategies: Interacting with students who are blind and have severe disabilities. TEACHING Exceptional Children, 36(2), 56-61. Free download of this article courtesy of Council for Exceptional Children/Online Journals. Copyright © 2003 by The Council for Exceptional Children.

Book

Chen, D., & Downing, J. (2006). Tactile strategies for children who have visual impairments and multiple disabilities: Promoting communication and learning skills. AFB Press.

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Chen, D., Downing, J., & Rodriguez-Gil, G. (2001). Tactile strategies for children who are deaf-blind: Considerations and concerns from Project SALUTE . Deaf-Blind Perspectives, 8(2), 1-6. Downing J., & Chen, D. (2003). Tactile strategies: Interacting with students who are blind and have severe disabilities . TEACHING Exceptional Children, 36(2), 56-61.

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Special Education Forms (Chinese, Korean, Haitian Creole, Spanish and Russian)

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Powerpoint Presentations (audio and accessible versions)

Questions and Answers (Updated April 2011)

January 2010 memorandum - New York State Model Forms: Student Information Summary Form and Individualized Education Program (IEP) - PDF (Memo only - 50 KB)

Attachments

Last Updated: December 31, 2015

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Individualized Education Program (IEP) and Optional Student Information Summary Form

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Powerpoint Presentations (audio and accessible versions) Questions and Answers (Updated April 2011) January 2010 memorandum - New York State Model Forms: Student Information Summary Form and Individualized Education Program (IEP) - PDF (Memo only - 50 KB) Attachments Last Updated: December 31, 2015

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EL Individual Language Plan, Student Monitor Support Plan, Nebraska ELL Program Guide: A Guide for Secondary ELL Programming

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An individual learning plan is NOT currently required in Nebraska for ELs; however, this tool can be useful for planning and communication.

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As part of our ongoing efforts to supporting ELL Programming across the state, the NDE English Learner Program initiated a Secondary ELL Working Group in Fall 2016. From there we have grown to include over 30 members from districts and ESUs all over the state. This group focuses on developing resources and materials and sharing ideas around secondary ELL programming and support. Anyone who serves secondary ELLs welcome to join the group. We meet in person 2 times a year and collaborate and communicate online throughout the year.
Here are the 5 guiding principles that inform our work:

1. We believe all school staff should support English learners (ELs) by increasing their own understanding of language acquisition, best practices for ELs, and the district's EL program.

2. We believe in systematic programming and instruction that includes professional development and continued support for all teachers who serve English learners.

3. We believe all English learners have strengths and funds of knowledge that they bring to enrich our schools and communities.

4. We believe all English learners have the ability to learn English, participate in grade level content and should have a clear pathway towards graduation.

5. We believe in building positive relationships with all stakeholders involved in supporting students' academic achievement.

Resources

English Learner Instructional Language Plan
The purpose of this document is to communicate background information of English learners to content teachers and support staff and provide information on classroom supports.

Nebraska ELL Program Guide: A Guide for Secondary ELL Programming
The purpose of this document is to provide districts and schools with ideas for setting up secondary programming and supporting secondary English learners and their families.

Student Monitor Support Plan The purpose of this document is to communicate information to content teachers and support staff during the 4-year monitor period after students exit the English learner status.

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As part of our ongoing efforts to supporting ELL Programming across the state, the NDE English Learner Program initiated a Secondary ELL Working Group in Fall 2016. From there we have grown to include over 30 members from districts and ESUs all over the state.

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From Nebraska Department of Education

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Culturally Responsive Teaching Checklist (Free Download)

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Culturally Responsive Teaching Checklist (Free Download)

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Free resource from Re-Imagining Migration

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While many educators recognize the value of creating a culturally responsive classroom, for many teachers it is difficult to imagine what a culturally responsive classroom looks like in practice. This tool, developed by members of the Re-Imagining Migration team and researchers at UCLA, is intended to help make the concept of a culturally responsive classroom concrete and to provide an opportunity for reflection and self-assessment.

This checklist is adapted from "Integrating the Curriculum with Ethnic Content: Approaches and Guidelines", pp 189-207 in J.A. Banks & C. A. McGee Banks (Eds.), Multicultural Education: Issues & Perspectives, Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

Desdemona Cardoza, PhD and Margaret Fieweger, PhD developed a version of this checklist for the 4th Annual All
Campus Faculty Symposium, (1990). "Communicating, Advising and Teaching in a Multicultural University", California State University, Los Angeles, April 24.

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While many educators recognize the value of creating a culturally responsive classroom, for many teachers it is difficult to imagine what a culturally responsive classroom looks like in practice. This tool, developed by members of the Re-Imagining Migration team and researchers at UCLA, is intended to help make the concept of a culturally responsive classroom concrete and to provide an opportunity for reflection and self-assessment.

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SEL can be a powerful lever for creating caring, just, inclusive, and healthy communities that support all individuals in reaching their fullest potential.

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MPS Quick Reference Guide to Afghanistan and Afghan Culture for Educators and Staff

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Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

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Infographic with multiple websites offering free children books in English, Spanish, and other languages.

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Activities for Supporting ELLs at Home (Educator Guide)

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Activities for Supporting ELLs at Home (Educator Guide)

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Download the Educator Guide and Parent/Caretaker Activities in English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dari, Haitian Creole, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese

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Family and Caregiver Activities

"I just want to enjoy being with my granddaughter at home. How can I make learning fun for her?" -Grandfather of a young English learner in California

Learning together can be fun! These family and caregiver activities ( FCAs) are designed to provide simple, fun activities families and caregivers can use with young English learner children at home to leverage cultural and linguistic assets and knowledge to strengthen language development in either the home language or English. The resources are based on the What Works Clearinghouse practice guide " Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School." They are available in multiple languages.

Educator Resources

These resources support educators in helping families and caregivers make the most of the activities:

TOOL: Educators' Guide
Read the Educators' Guide to learn more about the activities as well as tips to help families and caregivers make the most out of the them.

VIDEO: Introductory Webinar
Watch a webinar that introduces the research behind the activities and provides suggestions to maximize learning and fun while families, caregivers, and children engage with the FCAs.

VIDEO COLLECTION: Activities in Action
See educators and families in action! View three videos that connect classroom instruction with use of the family and caregiver activities at home.

Activities

Download all activities in:

Questions about Informational Text

Ask and answer questions about an informational text.

Video Collection

Video 1: Building Oral and Written Language Skills

This video shows how to extend elementary classroom learning to the home with two Family and Caregiver Activity sheets: Asking and Answering Questions About an Informational Text and Writing Notebooks. The simple and fun activities, using content from classroom lessons, encourage young English learners to strengthen oral and written language skills while interacting with family members or caregivers.

Video 2: Supporting Young English Learners to Develop Academic Vocabulary Across Content Areas

This video demonstrates how educators, families, and caregivers partnered to prepare transitional kindergarten children for classroom lessons on sequential language across content areas and then extend this learning using two fun and engaging activity sheets: Asking and Answering Questions About a Story and Making a Meal Together.

Video 3: Applying Academic Vocabulary and Language to Multiple Contexts

This video focuses on how the Family and Caregiver Activity sheets Word Detective and Interviewing a Special Person can extend classroom lessons on academic vocabulary and language to help elementary-age English learner students use new words across multiple contexts by listening, speaking, writing, and drawing with their family members and caregivers.

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educational improvement; excellence in education; educational research; statistics; statistical data; statistical surveys; regional educational laboratory program; rel; rigorous studies; fast response projects; no child left behind

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REL Resource | Supporting Young English Learners at Home

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"I just want to enjoy being with my granddaughter at home. How can I make learning fun for her?" -Grandfather of a young English learner in California Learning together can be fun!

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Civil Rights Resources in Other Languages

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Civil Rights Resources in Other Languages

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Filing a Complain, School Enrollment Procedures, Harassment and Bullying, Combating Discrimination Against Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and Muslim, Arab, Sikh, and South Asian (MASSA) Students, Consent Form - For Revealing Name and Personal Information to Others

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civil rights; disability discrimination; age discrimination; sex discrimination; racial discrimination; special education; national origin; gender discrimination; harassment

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File a Complaint: Foreign Language Discrimination Forms | U.S. Department of Education

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Index of links in other languages on How to File a Discrimination Complaint with the Office for Civil Rights

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ACT allows the use of specific bilingual word-to-word dictionaries. To avoid test invalidation, make sure your student and specific dictionary qualify.

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Free Spanish digital textbooks from Center for Applied Linguistics & Ambassador of Mexico

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El bilingüismo entre la comunidad mexicana y mexicoamericana en EUA define nuestra identidad y refleja una realidad ineludible: somos pueblos hermanos unidos con una historia común. Por ello, nos interesa que conozcas esta plataforma digital que hemos preparado junto con CAL para que fomentemos juntos esta identidad compartida, el correcto aprendizaje de nuestros idiomas.

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Digital Storytelling in English Learner Classrooms

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Digital Storytelling in English Learner Classrooms

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TuesdayTips: Digital Storytelling in English Learner Classrooms - Center for Applied Linguistics

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In addition to students’ own literacy practices, these storytelling activities can also be key teaching opportunities for EL students because they use multimedia, therefore providing extra scaffolding through images, audio, and video.

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Schools' Civil Rights Obligations to English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents

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Schools' Civil Rights Obligations to English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents

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The obligation not to discriminate based on race, color, or national origin requires public schools to take affirmative steps to ensure that limited English proficient (LEP) students, now more commonly known as English Learner (EL) students or English Language Learners (ELLs), can meaningfully participate in educational programs and services, and to communicate information to LEP parents in a language they can understand. The following materials include information for students and parents, OCR guidance and resources for education officials about their obligations to EL students and LEP parents, and added resources with related information. For Students and Parents For Education Officials Self-Evaluation Materials Related Resources
U.S. Department of Education Resources

U.S. Department of Education Funded Resources and Partnerships

LEP.gov (federal interagency website on limited English proficiency)

U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division

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civil rights; racial discrimination; national origin discrimination; limited english proficient; english (second language); language proficiency; title vi; english learner (el) students; limited english proficient (lep) students; english language learners (ells)

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Schools' Civil Rights Obligations to English Learner Students and Limited English Proficient Parents

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OCR resources about civil rights issues regarding English Language Learning and Limited English Proficient students

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Digital Storytelling in English Learner Classrooms

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Digital Storytelling in English Learner Classrooms

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TuesdayTips: Digital Storytelling in English Learner Classrooms - Center for Applied Linguistics

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In addition to students’ own literacy practices, these storytelling activities can also be key teaching opportunities for EL students because they use multimedia, therefore providing extra scaffolding through images, audio, and video.

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ACT allows the use of specific bilingual word-to-word dictionaries. To avoid test invalidation, make sure your student and specific dictionary qualify.

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Nebraska educators strive to provide an equitable education to more than 23,000 English learners representing 110 different languages.

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Some Classroom "Look Fors" Focused on English Learners

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Some Classroom "Look Fors" Focused on English Learners

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This tool provides a lens for educators to use in classrooms with ELs in regard to instruction, student engagement, and assessment.
See also: Guidance for "Classroom 'Look Fors' Focused on English Learners"

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Nebraska educators strive to provide an equitable education to more than 23,000 English learners representing 110 different languages.

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Some Classroom "Look Fors" Focused on English Learners

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Some Classroom "Look Fors" Focused on English Learners

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This tool provides a lens for educators to use in classrooms with ELs in regard to instruction, student engagement, and assessment.
See also: Guidance for "Classroom 'Look Fors' Focused on English Learners"

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A Toolkit with Best Practices, Research, and Resources Developed by the National Indian Child Welfare Association. 2018.

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This toolkit was created to inform and enrich the family advocate’s capacity when engaging Indian families in Systems of Care. The content is developed by Indian people for Indian people, however many of the concepts and ideas included can be adapted to serve any community seeking to enhance family engagement. (Nebraska Dept of Ed., 1-6-2020)

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From Nebraska Department of Education

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etting It Right: Reference Guides for Registering Students with Non-English Names, 2nd Edition

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Registering Students with Non-English Names (Reference Guides)

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Registering Students with Non-English Names (Reference Guides)

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Getting a student’s name right is the first step in welcoming him or her to school. (...) The guides are currently available for students with home languages of Arabic, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Ukrainian, Urdu, and Vietnamese.

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American Indian or Native American? Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology

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American Indian or Native American? Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology

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The Impact of Words and Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology (from Native Knowledge 360)

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Answers common questions about the rights of parents and guardians who are not proficient in English because it is not their primary language.

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Fact Sheet: Information for Limited English Proficient Parents and for Schools and School Districts that Communicate with Them (Available in 11 languages)

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Fact Sheet: Information for Limited English Proficient Parents and for Schools and School Districts that Communicate with Them (Available in 11 languages)

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Available in English, Spanish, Chinese: Mandarin Traditional and Mandarin Simplified, Cambodian, Hmong
Korean, Laotian, Russian, Tagalog, Vietnamese

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2. Fact Sheet: Information for Limited English Proficient Parents and for Schools and School Districts that Communicate with Them

This fact sheet answers common questions about the rights of parents and guardians who do not speak, listen, read, or write English proficiently because it is not their primary language.

Translations of the fact sheet are available in the following languages:

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Fact Sheet: Information for Limited English Proficient Parents and for Schools and School Districts that Communicate with Them

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Jump to navigation Jump to Content Home › Fact Sheet: Information for Limited English Proficient Parents and for Schools and School Districts that Communicate with Them This fact sheet answers common questions about the rights of parents and guardians who do not speak, listen, read, or write English proficiently because it is not their primary language.